gloss

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
gloss1

▶noun

• 1 a shine on a smooth surface.

  ■ (also gloss paint) a type of paint which dries to a glossy surface.

• 2 a superficially attractive appearance or impression: beneath the gloss of success.

▶verb

• 1 give a glossy appearance to.

• 2 (gloss over) try to conceal or pass over (something unfavourable).

– derivatives
glosser noun.

– origin C16: of unknown origin.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
gloss2

▶noun a translation or explanation of a word, phrase, or passage. ▶verb provide a gloss for (a text, word, etc.).

– origin C16: alt. of gloze, from OFr. glose (see gloze), suggested by med. L. glossa ‘explanation of a difficult word’.